New Venture for JaysDesign

Jaimey/Laura here. I'm pleased to announce a new business venture for the artist behind JaysDesign. Jay officially has a Zazzle store now, featuring some of his other works of art, namely, his paintings and his drawings. Below is a nifty little gadget displaying the items listed so far. We'd love for you to check it out and don't forget to join the JaysDesign fan club while you're there! (Of course, I'm already a fan, lol.)

create & buy custom products at Zazzle

Pearls, Glorious Pearls

The pearls we often see today are cultured, meaning the oyster is more or less forced to make the gem. With cultured pearl farms all over the world, this beautiful and timeless gem is now easily obtained.

The culturing process officially began in 1893 when the first pearl was "created" by Kokichi Mikimoto. Simply, a pearl is made by placing a tiny bit of shell or other debris inside the oyster. It is then coated in layers of nacre until a pearl is formed. After several months, the pearl is harvested.

It was Mikimoto's desire to see pearls around the throat of every woman, not just the wealthy. In developing the culturing process, he made that wish a distinct possibility. 

There are so many works of art out there featuring pearls. Several are posted below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

This article was originally published at A Lady's Deception, (c) Laura J Miller, and is reprinted here with permission.
*For more info on Mikimoto and pearl culturing visit these sites: Cultured Pearls: History of Mikimoto; Mikimoto Kōkichi; Cultured pearl

Finally!! The Winners

I promised handcrafted jewelry winners for January-April and here they are*:

Tracey Harbaugh

Lori A Osterman

Amanda Devine

Jennifer Lyons

Thank you for being fans and followers!

Winners, please contact jaysdesign1[at]gmail[dot]com within 7 days with your mailing address to receive your prize. Prizes are random but all are valued at $10 or more. For examples of past prizes, check out these winner posts:

September, October, November, December

Stay tuned for the details of the new jewelry giveaway.

Congratulations, winners!!!

*Winners were selected using Random.org.

A Change Here at JaysDesign

Hello, followers! Jay's sister here with an announcement.

Due to some extenuating circumstances, the monthly free jewelry drawing has been suspended. Many apologies for this change but it was necessary. Winners will be drawn and posted for January-April. This change will take effect May 1.

Thank you for your understanding and stay tuned for more details on a new prize drawing.

The Last Winner of 2009

Hi! This is Jay's sister again. I'm here to announce the latest winner of the JaysDesign Fan/Follower Drawing.

The winner for December 2009 is....

Chelle Schalk!!

Chelle has won the lovely black onyx and sterling silver bracelet pictured here. It measures about 8 1/2 inches long. Each sterling link was made by hand with painstaking care and attention to detail.

Congratulations, Chelle! Please send an email to Jay at jaysdesign1 (at) gmail [dot] com to confirm your win. Don't forget to include your mailing address. Thank you for being a fan!

Remember, everyone, as the the number of fans and followers rises, so does the value of the prize. Tell your friends and family! And don't forget to check out the Etsy shop for more beautiful creations at fabulous prices. Shipping is always FREE to the USA and Canada. Everywhere else is only $3.50.

JaysDesign on Etsy